Bill Text: TX HB173 | 2021 | 87th Legislature 2nd Special Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to vehicle safety inspections for vehicles registered in certain counties; imposing a fee.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-08-12 - Filed [HB173 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB173-Introduced.html
| 87S20668 JRR-D | ||
| By: Morales of Maverick | H.B. No. 173 | |
|
|
||
|
|
||
| relating to vehicle safety inspections for vehicles registered in | ||
| certain counties; imposing a fee. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 382.0622(a), Health and Safety Code, is | ||
| amended to read as follows: | ||
| (a) Clean Air Act fees consist of: | ||
| (1) fees collected by the commission under Sections | ||
| 382.062, 382.0621, 382.202, and 382.302 and as otherwise provided | ||
| by law; | ||
| (2) $2 from the portion of each fee collected for | ||
| inspections of vehicles other than mopeds and remitted to the state | ||
| under Sections 548.501 and 548.503, Transportation Code; [ |
||
| (3) $6 from the portion of each fee collected for | ||
| inspections of vehicles other than mopeds and remitted to the state | ||
| under Section 548.5035, Transportation Code; and | ||
| (4) fees collected that are required under Section 185 | ||
| of the federal Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. Section 7511d). | ||
| SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 548, Transportation Code, | ||
| is amended by adding Section 548.010 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 548.010. INSPECTION IN ANY COUNTY PERMITTED FOR | ||
| VEHICLES REGISTERED IN CERTAIN COUNTIES. Notwithstanding any other | ||
| law, a vehicle inspected under Section 548.1025 may be inspected in | ||
| any county. | ||
| SECTION 3. Section 548.101, Transportation Code, is amended | ||
| to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 548.101. GENERAL ONE-YEAR INSPECTION PERIOD. Except | ||
| as provided by Sections [ |
||
| department shall require an annual inspection. The department | ||
| shall set the periods of inspection and may make rules with respect | ||
| to those periods. The rules must provide that: | ||
| (1) a vehicle owner shall [ |
||
| inspections [ |
||
| date of expiration of the vehicle's registration; and | ||
| (2) a used motor vehicle sold by a dealer, as defined | ||
| by Section 503.001, must be inspected in the 180 days preceding the | ||
| date the dealer sells the vehicle. | ||
| SECTION 4. Section 548.102(a), Transportation Code, is | ||
| amended to read as follows: | ||
| (a) Except as provided by Section 548.1025, the [ |
||
| initial inspection period is two years for a passenger car or light | ||
| truck that: | ||
| (1) is sold in this state or purchased by a commercial | ||
| fleet buyer described by Section 501.0234(b)(4) for use in this | ||
| state; | ||
| (2) has not been previously registered in this or | ||
| another state; and | ||
| (3) on the date of sale is of the current or preceding | ||
| model year. | ||
| SECTION 5. Subchapter C, Chapter 548, Transportation Code, | ||
| is amended by adding Section 548.1025 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 548.1025. INSPECTION PERIOD FOR VEHICLES REGISTERED IN | ||
| CERTAIN COUNTIES. (a) This section applies only to a vehicle that | ||
| is registered in a county that has: | ||
| (1) a population of less than 10,000; and | ||
| (2) a total area of more than 2,000 square miles. | ||
| (b) The inspection period for a vehicle described by | ||
| Subsection (a) is three years. | ||
| (c) This section does not apply to the inspection period for | ||
| a: | ||
| (1) commercial motor vehicle inspection under | ||
| Subchapter D; or | ||
| (2) motor vehicle emissions inspection under | ||
| Subchapter F. | ||
| SECTION 6. Section 548.254, Transportation Code, is amended | ||
| to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 548.254. VALIDITY OF VEHICLE INSPECTION REPORT. The | ||
| department, and the conservation commission if necessary, by rule | ||
| shall establish the length of time a [ |
||
| required by this chapter is valid [ |
||
| SECTION 7. Section 548.501(a), Transportation Code, is | ||
| amended to read as follows: | ||
| (a) Except as provided by Sections 548.503, 548.5035, and | ||
| 548.504, the fee for inspection of a motor vehicle other than a | ||
| moped is $12.50. The fee for inspection of a moped is $5.75. | ||
| SECTION 8. Subchapter H, Chapter 548, Transportation Code, | ||
| is amended by adding Section 548.5035 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 548.5035. FEE FOR THREE-YEAR INSPECTION OF VEHICLES | ||
| REGISTERED IN CERTAIN COUNTIES. (a) Except as provided by | ||
| Subsection (b), the fee for inspection of a vehicle under Section | ||
| 548.1025 is $23.50. | ||
| (b) The fee for inspection of a moped under Section 548.1025 | ||
| is $16.75. | ||
| (c) Out of each fee for an inspection, $16.50 shall be | ||
| remitted to the state under Section 548.509. | ||
| SECTION 9. Section 548.505(a), Transportation Code, is | ||
| amended to read as follows: | ||
| (a) The department by rule may impose an inspection fee for | ||
| a vehicle inspected under Section 548.301(a) in addition to the fee | ||
| provided by Section 548.501, 548.502, 548.503, 548.5035, or | ||
| 548.504. A fee imposed under this subsection must be based on the | ||
| costs of: | ||
| (1) providing inspections; and | ||
| (2) administering the program. | ||
| SECTION 10. Not later than April 1, 2022, the Texas | ||
| Department of Motor Vehicles shall adopt rules and update the | ||
| department's registration database and system as necessary to | ||
| ensure that an owner of a vehicle subject to Section 548.010, | ||
| Transportation Code, as added by this Act, is able to register or | ||
| renew registration of the vehicle without obtaining an annual | ||
| safety inspection of the vehicle. | ||
| SECTION 11. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this | ||
| section, this Act takes effect May 1, 2022. | ||
| (b) Section 10 of this Act takes effect January 1, 2022. | ||
